Coronavirus in the US: Here’s what happened Friday

Friday was the deadliest day in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, with more than 1,000 dying from coronavirus. The death toll in the U.S. has surpassed 7,000.

As the time of this writing, Johns Hopkins University data show 58,871 deaths worldwide, along with 1,098,848 confirmed cases. The U.S. leads all countries with 277,828 confirmed cases.

White House briefing:

CDC issues new mask recommendations: The CDC is now recommending all people wear “cloth face covers” in public. During Friday’s White House briefing, President Trump announced the new guidelines but said he won’t follow them. Here are some tips on making a cloth face mask, with or without sewing.

Administration to pay uninsured COVID-19 patients’ medical bills: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday that funds from the $2 trillion stimulus package will be used to reimburse hospitals for testing and treating uninsured coronavirus patients. Providers will be paid at Medicare rates from a $100 billion fund.

In other news:

Walmart to limit customers: Walmart announced Friday that only five customers per 1,000 square feet will be allowed in stores at once. Aisles will be marked as “one way” to help limit contact between customers.

Google to release your location data: Google is publicly releasing location data it’s already collecting to help governments and health officials better plan their response to the pandemic. Google says the company will not release information that could be used to identify any individuals, but hopes to show larger movement trends.

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